


Count Three Blessings

by CPFics



Series: The Muskequeers [7]
Category: The Musketeers (2014)
Genre: Agender Character, Alternate Universe - Domestic, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, Genderfluid Character, Multi, Other, Trans Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-06-27
Updated: 2014-06-27
Packaged: 2018-02-06 10:53:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 982
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1855396
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CPFics/pseuds/CPFics
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short one-shot set 5-10 years after In Confidence (and related fics).</p><p>Aramis, Athos and Porthos are happily living together with two children and a cat.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Count Three Blessings

“Par, Par, can I ask you something?” Henriette tugged on Athos’ trouser leg as they tried desperately to transfer a boiling hot pot from one side of the room to the other without spilling it on her.

“I’m a bit busy with dinner at the moment, love,” they said, “but when it’s done, you’ll have my undivided attention. Or you could try asking your elter, if you don’t want to wait. Or you could wait until your dad gets home.”

Henriette thought about it for a second, then dashed off to find Aramis. Athos breathed a sigh of relief as soon as she was out of splash range.

“Elter, Elter, can I ask you something?” Henriette said as she wriggled under Aramis’ arms and into nir lap. Ne wasn’t wearing a dress today, but ne was sitting, straight-backed, ankles crossed, in an armchair by the fire with an embroidery hoop in nir hands - Porthos had convinced nem to take it up. Ne laid it aside as Henriette clambered onto nem, and pulled her into a tight hug. Her brother, Philippe, was playing with a small wooden horse on the windowsill. The cat was curled up in the warmth of the hearth near Aramis’ feet.

They’d decided to adopt five years ago, just after they’d bought a house together close to the barracks. It had only taken Porthos a matter of days to find the twins, about a year old, abandoned in the Court of Miracles, the unwanted, illegitimate children of a nobleman and a maid, looked after by people who could barely feed them. They’d been happy to have Porthos take them off their hands, though he’d given them a few coins anyway in thanks. Two baby boys, they’d told him at the time, but as the twins had grown, it had become clear that that was not the case. The cat had moved in of its own accord.

“Anything you want, sweetheart,” Aramis told Henriette, pulling back a little so ne could see her face. She looked concerned.

“Gabrielle says that when we grow up we will have to find husbands and spend all day sewing and cooking and looking after them.”

Aramis sighed. Gabrielle was the daughter of M. Viard, the baker, who ne doubted would approve of the company his daughter was keeping. He was a man of traditional values.

“You will not have to spend all day doing anything you don’t want to,” ne assured her, “nor will you ever have to marry anyone you don’t want to. Some people marry their daughters off as soon as they can, to whichever man has the most money or reputation, either because they can’t afford to do otherwise or because it’s just how they believe it should be done. But you will have the same education as your brother, and you will be able to earn your own money somehow. You need only marry if and when you want to.”

Henriette smiled and relaxed.

“Will you read to me, Elter?” she asked. Aramis smiled back.

“Of course,” ne said. “Would you like to join us, Philippe?”

Philippe ran over, his wooden horse still clasped in his hands, and Aramis pulled him onto nir lap, before pulling a book of fairy tales down from the mantelpiece. Ne opened it at began to read, pointing out the words with nir forefinger so that the children could follow them.

A little while later, the door opened and closed, and Porthos’ heavy footsteps could be heard in the hall. Henriette and Philippe both leapt off Aramis’ lap and ran to meet him.

“Daddy!” they cried, barrelling into his legs. Porthos laughed, and bent down to ruffle their hair.

Aramis, Porthos and Athos had come to an agreement with Treville, wherein they took it in turns to go in to work. Sometimes just one of them would go, or sometimes two, while whoever was left looked after the children. Occasionally, all three of them were needed, in which case the children were committed to the care of Eveline - or Mme. Treville, as she was now - or Constance.

Aramis leaned against the hallway wall, watching Porthos greet the children. Ne smiled affectionately.

“You interrupted us right at the good bit of Puss in Boots,” ne admonished light-heartedly. Porthos looked up at nem, grinning, stood up and pulled nem into his arms.

“Well, you’ll have to read the rest to all of us after dinner, then, won’t you?” he said into nir neck, and ne laughed, knowing that listening to nem read could send Porthos to sleep faster than anything else in the known world, and with a ridiculous smile plastered on his face to boot.

“Dinner!” Athos called, and they all went through to the table, where Athos had laid out five steaming bowls of stew and three glasses of wine. Porthos greeted Athos with a kiss before he sat down.

“This looks delicious,” he said.

That night, once Henriette and Philippe were asleep, Porthos, Athos and Aramis climbed into bed together, kissing lazily and enjoying the warmth of one another’s bodies. From time to time, Treville and Eveline would look after the children for the night, having none of their own, and in the summer they’d camp out in the garrison courtyard, and Treville would teach them how to pitch a tent and cook on a campfire, and in the winter they’d stay inside in the warm and Eveline would teach them songs - only Eveline, because none of Treville’s soldiering songs were appropriate for young ears. On those nights, the three of them were able to indulge in more noisy and energetic activity.

Other nights, though, like tonight, it was enough for them to just lie curled together in the dark, reaffirming their love for one another through kisses and whispers, being forever grateful that they have each other, and their children, and their friends.

**Author's Note:**

> Par comes from 'parent' and is, as far as I know, a well-known title among gender-neutral parents. Elter I made up for the fic, and comes from the apparently-never-used but, according to the internet at least, technically correct singular of the German 'Eltern' meaning 'parents' (and it sort of works, so regardless of grammar I'm going with it).
> 
> Obviously Aramis chose the children's names.
> 
> I have sooooo many more headcanons surrounding this. I might write and share them. We'll see how this goes down.


End file.
